Luke Frazier is a former bounty hunter working under a different name as a ranch hand for a rancher named Chris Thornton near Buckland, Kansas. Thornton has discovered Frazier's true identity. He does not want Frazier working on his ranch, but he tells Frazier if he will hunt down a man named Otto Fry, he will give Frazier 1,000 acres of ranch land. Frazier had dreamed of owning a ranch, but never thought it was a possibility.
Frazier is not too keen on resuming his bounty hunter career, but the lure of the promise Thornton made is enough to make Frazier decide to take on the job. Frazier manages to justify his actions because Fry killed Thornton's son years earlier. Thornton produced a wanted poster for Otto Fry offering a $600 reward.
Frazier tracks Fry to Dodge City where he reacquaints himself with his old friend, Festus Haggen. Frazier soon learns Fry is living under the name Lon Jensen near Dodge with his wife and daughter. He also learns that Fry is not a wanted man. The younger Thornton's death was ruled justifiable homicide because Thornton raped Fry's wife. The wanted posters were printed by the sheriff in Buckland, but they were never distributed.
Frazier is furious that Chris Thornton set him up to murder Lon Jensen/Otto Fry. He returns to Thornton's ranch and begins delivering a beating to Thornton, but Thornton gets his hands on a rifle and shoots Frazier. Thornton and his men then set out for Dodge to murder Jensen.
This is a taut thriller with a few surprising twists. I have always found it interesting that bounty hunters are often portrayed in a negative light in television westerns with a few notable exceptions (Wanted: Dead or Alive, for example). Once Matt Dillon learns who Frazier is, he instantly distrusts him, although Frazier seems to be an honest, honorable man.
Robert Lansing possessed a distinctive acting style, and he is excellent in the Luke Frazier role. He was very memorable as the character Gary Seven in an episode of Star Trek titled "Assignment: Earth." The episode was a pilot for a spin-off series that was never developed.
This is Wright King's last of eight Gunsmoke appearances. King was a television veteran and appeared in many westerns. King plays Lon Jensen in this episode.
Paul Savage wrote this episode, as he would several other Gunsmoke episodes over the years. Savage was a prolific television writer. He contributed multiple scripts to other series including Laramie, 77 Sunset Strip, The Big Valley, The Streets of San Francisco, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Waltons, and Murder, She Wrote, but he wrote more episodes of Gunsmoke than any other series.
Frazier is not too keen on resuming his bounty hunter career, but the lure of the promise Thornton made is enough to make Frazier decide to take on the job. Frazier manages to justify his actions because Fry killed Thornton's son years earlier. Thornton produced a wanted poster for Otto Fry offering a $600 reward.
Frazier tracks Fry to Dodge City where he reacquaints himself with his old friend, Festus Haggen. Frazier soon learns Fry is living under the name Lon Jensen near Dodge with his wife and daughter. He also learns that Fry is not a wanted man. The younger Thornton's death was ruled justifiable homicide because Thornton raped Fry's wife. The wanted posters were printed by the sheriff in Buckland, but they were never distributed.
Frazier is furious that Chris Thornton set him up to murder Lon Jensen/Otto Fry. He returns to Thornton's ranch and begins delivering a beating to Thornton, but Thornton gets his hands on a rifle and shoots Frazier. Thornton and his men then set out for Dodge to murder Jensen.
This is a taut thriller with a few surprising twists. I have always found it interesting that bounty hunters are often portrayed in a negative light in television westerns with a few notable exceptions (Wanted: Dead or Alive, for example). Once Matt Dillon learns who Frazier is, he instantly distrusts him, although Frazier seems to be an honest, honorable man.
Robert Lansing possessed a distinctive acting style, and he is excellent in the Luke Frazier role. He was very memorable as the character Gary Seven in an episode of Star Trek titled "Assignment: Earth." The episode was a pilot for a spin-off series that was never developed.
This is Wright King's last of eight Gunsmoke appearances. King was a television veteran and appeared in many westerns. King plays Lon Jensen in this episode.
Paul Savage wrote this episode, as he would several other Gunsmoke episodes over the years. Savage was a prolific television writer. He contributed multiple scripts to other series including Laramie, 77 Sunset Strip, The Big Valley, The Streets of San Francisco, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Waltons, and Murder, She Wrote, but he wrote more episodes of Gunsmoke than any other series.
